To ask when did you realise you are old?

[MyMonsteraisDeliciosa]

My son just changed my phone settings for me so the font is big and I can read everything. I'm just turned 43 and I just felt properly old for the first time. Boo! I'm waiting for new glasses which should help but I've always had perfect vision until the last couple of years. Poor me

What was it that made you realise you are no longer a youngster? Please.help me feel less alone in my sudden dotage!

When I tripped going up some steps and instead of laughing, a young man asked if I was alright (with genuine concern)!

When a shop assistant who I thought was about my age, called me 'love.'

When I made a joke about myself looking old at work and nobody corrected me.

What’s with being called “dear”? Unless that happens to people of all ages? Am 51 and it has been happening to me (occasionally) since my 40s - in London. Might be a cultural thing. Whatever it is I don’t like it.

Also, most people on this thread seem to be middle aged rather than “old” whatever that means - why are we referring to ourselves as old?

I'm over 60 and have noticed that people do sometimes speak to me like I am an old person, dear and suchlike. Maybe I am old...

When I put the aircon on in the car and said to DS 'Can you wind the window up?' and he looked at me with utter bafflement and replied 'It's a button, how can I WIND it up?'.

And when we were talking about GCSEs last year and I realised it's 30 years since I did mine

Constantly being called madam in shops and getting constantly irritated by reception staff!

Right now I absolutely know it. My teeth/gums are starting to look ropey after having had great teeth my whole life. It’s depressing.

About 2 weeks into having a baby - I certainly felt 10 years older!!

When I realised I witter on too much to checkout assistants and they were humouring me.

The skin on my hands. My eyesight, had to order reading glasses in Summer. I'm 50 in April and hearing the number 50 sounds old. But I don't always feel it.

Where I live, it's quite common for kids to call you aunty and adults, sister. It's when the adults started calling me aunty, I had to admit defeat.
Also the transition from turning heads to becoming invisible takes a bit of getting used to.

My six year old granddaugher showing me how to use the remote control.

Dabbled in online dating and realised that most of the men my age looked like (how I remember) my grandad.

Just returning from maternity leave at 43 a new carer has started . He didn't know a thing g about me and asked I bet your parents are dead and you have grown up kids,? he wasn't the brightest . His face when I said my sons are 10 and 7 months was priceless

@Carouselfish

In the last few weeks watching Below Deck on Prime and realising I'll never be yacht crew! It's for 20 year old and I'm 40!

Same! I did have a sad thought while watching it recently that at my age that particular adventurous career path is probably off the table for me now

(Mind you I have a friend in his 40s that works on Yachts, but he's definitely more of a Captain Lee than a Bugsy).

It did not help when a past FWB who is significantly younger than me recently made a slightly derogatory comment about '40 year old Women' in passing. I'll be 40 in 2 years

Watching the Big fat quiz of everything, last nigh, and disagreeing with the answer to a question about something that happened in 2000.

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows

Howay, as the old saying goes you are as young as you feel.

So my biological age is 35, the age I feel as a single mum teacher delivering lessons online whilst home schooling 2 primary kids is 537

We all have three ages, the one in your head, the one in your passport and the one in the mirror. I was recently told by a grandchild that even though I am only a couple of years younger than their paternal grandma I seemed much much younger. Naturally, that's now my very favourite grandchild who will inherit everything, except my body problems, hopefully!

@RingtheBells

I'm over 60 and have noticed that people do sometimes speak to me like I am an old person, dear and suchlike. Maybe I am old...

No you're not, I'm 72 and I'll let you know when I feel old. Last year a relative told me I must be old because I could afford to fly to the US in Business!

I'm older then you and I'm not old so obviously not yet. I'll be old in my 70s and 80s.

@blubberyboo

Last night when I toppled over when putting on my knickers

You can do that standing up?? Definitely not old.

I had a bit of a moment in 1983 or '84. My then BF had teenage kids and, when I recounted a time when my granny gave me half a crown, his 15yo son said "That was the money they had in the olden days". I was only 28 or 29, but it made me feel ancient, albeit briefly.

But it's really hit me recently. My partner died at the start of November. I'm 65 and it's hard to think that anyone I might fancy will also fancy me.

I'm seriously considering lying about my age. I only look about 50, apparently. Although it's far too soon for me to be thinking about a new relationship, I can't imaging me ever wanting to be with a pensioner!

The time I was in a bar with my team and they all got ID'd and I didn't. I asked the bouncer if he could check mine to make me feel better

@LunaNorth I need to stop doing this! I've berated my dad for years for doing it now it just slips out wah!

@whatshalliget

’I hope I can still be bothered to make an effort when I’m old too’

If you’re 44 @MrsKoala, how old is she to think you are “old” - 5?

She looked about 20. It was just the tone of awe, and the ‘good for you for not giving up on life and having your hair done even tho no one looks at you anyway’ implication. The worst thing was she was beaming and obviously meant it as a compliment.

I have lots of moments when I’m talking to someone who has older/teen kids and in my mind they are obviously older than me because mine are young. Then they say something like ‘I’ll be 40 next year’ and I think jeeeessus.

I pity women like that, the more ageist a woman is, the tougher time she is going to have with ageing.